Ball in general, life on the road… on this blog, either you do or you don't.

Audience participation time!

Hey, it’s better than a drum solo.

I’m going to steal a bit from T.R. Sullivan and throw some questions out for all to answer. You are welcome to respond to one of them, all of them, or any number in between. We’ll try to do this semi-regularly, maybe once a week or so. And of course, in O,YNAG tradition, it won’t be all baseball.

So here we go, the first intsallment of, hmmm, let’s call it Lucky Seven.

1. How should the Cardinals handle second base? Luna every day? Miles every day? Straight platoon? This semi-platoon that they’re using now? Make a trade?

2. What should they do in left field? Let Chris Duncan play? Platoon Duncan and Taguchi? Play Taguchi every day? Play Rodriguez every day? Mix-and-match? Call up John Gall or Skip Schumaker? Lots of options here.

3. If the Cards could pull the trigger on one major deal, out of all the potentially available players, who would you want? Try to be at least a little reasonable — obviously Roy Oswalt is not available.

4. If there’s one player the Cards absolutely MUST NOT trade, who do you think it is? Leave out Pujols, Carpenter and Rolen, since those are, um, fairly obvious.

5. For those of you calling for Jason Isringhausen not to pitch the ninth anymore, two questions. One, what would you do with him if you removed him? Two, who do you want pitching the ninth? Again, realism must reign — to paraphrase Rick Pitino, Mariano Rivera is not walking through that door.

6. What’s the best baseball movie of all time?

7. What’s the best concert you’ve seen recently? Seen any disappointing or lousy shows lately?

Have at it. I’ll post my thoughts on all these after y’all weigh in for a while.-M.

The best concert I ever attended was Luciano Pavarotti and the Fort Worth Symphony at the Tarrant County Convention Center.

Don’t roll your eyes. The Fort Worth Symphony is world-class and there has never been a National Anthem that stirred the soul more when they hooked up with Van Cliburn on Opening Day at the Ballpark in Arlington in 1994.

So Pavarotti played Fort Worth in the middle of the Summer and he did not allow air-conditioning because he was concerned that it would harm his vocal chords.

Didn’t bother me. The concession stands were serving my favorite St. Louis Microbrewery and make no mistake about it, Pavarotti and Budweiser are an outstanding combination.

1. Still a platoon probably. Luna does have more pop. Play him everyday? I don’t know. Hey, could T Womack be a prospect as a backup?

2. Tough. Might as well let Duncan get at bets. Taguchi will still get some playing time. Package the others, if there are takers.

3. I would love Johann Santana, but the Twins are playing too well. So, Carl Crawford. Young lefty will great tools, solid already.

4. Reyes is popular, but I would trade hime for the right player. Probably Eckstein, considering his performance and price. He is an anchor. Hey, hypothecially, I would trade Pujols for Johann Satana and Joe Mauer. (Just kidding, really).

5. Jason just has to be trusted unless he declines further. He is still saving a lot of games and striking out more than a batter an inning.

6. What’s the best baseball movie of all time? Hard to say. Pride of the Yankees? Field of Dreams? A League of their Own? (It was pretty good).

1. Still a platoon probably. Luna does have more pop. Play him everyday? I don’t know. Hey, could T Womack be a prospect as a backup?

2. Tough. Might as well let Duncan get at bats. Taguchi will still get some playing time. Package the others, if there are takers.

3. I would love Johann Santana, but the Twins are playing too well. So, Carl Crawford. Young lefty will great tools, solid already.

4. Reyes is popular, but I would trade hime for the right player. Probably Eckstein, considering his performance and price. He is an anchor. Hey, hypothecially, I would trade Pujols for Johann Satana and Joe Mauer. (Just kidding, really).

5. Jason just has to be trusted unless he declines further. He is still saving a lot of games and striking out more than a batter an inning.

6. What’s the best baseball movie of all time? Hard to say. Pride of the Yankees? Field of Dreams? A League of their Own? (It was pretty good).

Ok. I will be the “dEVILS advocate”. I like Miles at second base using Luna as backup and utility (we have to give up something to get something). My thought would be to package Reyes and Duncan for Soriano; or Reyes and J-Rod for C. Lee. Since we have now gotten the pitching help that we need for the starting rotation(?), and Ponson delivers us not much in return immediately, what choice do we have after this trade? We now keep Ponson (who has effectually been one of our best starters over his last few outings)in the starting rotation, and give him reason to thrive. We also boster our offense with either trade.

And, oh yeah…..go get Soriano; Leave Izzy alone….hold on to Molina (too smart)…How about “baseball ************ Yankees”….Little River Band (can’t beat ’em)….If you haven’t seen Wayne and the boys, you haven’t seen a “CONCERT”!!!!

1.Anybody else missing Grudz?,sure Miles started off hot but he is a known entity in MLB, solid bat,solid D, nothing spectacular. Luna on the other hand is a rather unknown player with some considerable upside who happens to fill the infield/outfield utility role a must for any team. So if the Cards start Luna(in my humble opinion the best move) we need to look for a replacement utility man(Oquendo made a couple nice snags the other day at third)For now we put Miles into the trade pot(get to that later)and look at our farm for a possible utility replacement. To vent for just a sec, if I were Mr.Jocketty(great GM by the way) I would be slapping myself for letting Grudz slip away all over a couple bucks.

2.This is the biggest hole currently in the Cardinals lineup. Every player you mentioned with the exception of Duncan is again a known quantity with obvious talents and obvious weaknesses. J-Rod, great bat, suspect D; Taguchi, great D, no power; Gall or Schumacher, glorified reserves. We need an everyday starter in LF so for now give Duncan a chance to prove himself worthy and by worthy I mean consistent not streaky. I f that doesnt pan out after July its time to make an impact trade and for this lets add Taguchi and Gall to our trade pot.

3.We need an impact bat in the outfield so Soriano and Abreu would have to look good. I would be looking for any OF with at least an average glove who swings a power bat. Additional note on Soriano, I dont think he ideally fits the Redbird mold but he sure would good playing next to Jimmy E. and Encarnacion.

4.Tough one here. Toss up between Yadi and X-Man. I know Yadi’s recent plate struggles have Cards fans concerned but this young man is the bedrock of our pitching staff and D. I love watching this kid work home plate(can you say pick off machine) and look out for that bat,its getting hotter.On the other hand is there any foreseeable way that we could find better value in **** for any where near the price. Quick somebody check Renteria’s stats this year(career year so far) and compare them with X’s then divide by the contract price, its a California landslide.

4. So easy to bash the closers, the put themselves on the line almost every night and I will take Izzy any day of the week. Saw him pitch in Atlanta a couple of days ago, 94 mph heater, drop dead curve,nasty cutter, cmon people every pitcher has a bad inning here and there but unfortunately for closers they usually dont get a second one to redeem themselves. Keep up the good work Izzy and to all the critics I offer in trade Lights Out Lidge(did anyone find his psyche yet, should be somewhere near the Pujols ball from last year, I recommend firing up the GPS and checking southern Oklahoma)

6.For pure drama and meaning I have to go with Field of Dreams, very tough for a Costner hater like myself to admit. For comic relief it doesnt get any better than Major League, “Give ’em the heater Ricky”

7.Pearl Jam rocks the house like no other before or after.

Wanna recharge your batteries, go to a show and see if you dont come back with a renewed sense of greatness. Worst show ever would have to Dave Matthews Band-Saratoga Performing Arts Center-August 2004, I fear that Dave has tired a little and needs to rediscover his roots. Way too much fluff for me.

In closing the Cardinals have another great team this year and I look forward to a second half charge to the pennant. My guess is that we might actually play some meaningful September games this year which will sharpen the team on its way to the World Series. I like the signing of Jeff Weaver, Duncan will work his magic again, Anthony Reyes should be starting full time this year. Our rotation in the playoffs would look real good with Carp,Mulder,Reyes,Weaver, and Ponson in for long relief. Time to package up Marquis and Suppan, add that to the aforementioned trade pot of Miles,Gall, and maybe even J-Rod and get a starting LF to help solidify things. See you in October faithful Redbird fans.

1. Luna has provided nearly .6 wins (Using WARP1) more than Miles this year, and that comes in even less playing time. Miles has been better defensively this year, but my guess is it’s the tons of positions he plays.

2. I’d say it has to be between Duncan and Rodriguez. Duncan has more pop, but needs to start walking more to help offset the strikeouts. Rodriguez is showing a good walk rate, but no power. Platoon the two would be best IMO.

3. Chris Young from the Diamondbacks for Adamwainright and a throw in prospect. (Yes, not the one from the Padres, CF Prospect they got from White Sox).

4. Reyes.

5. Izzy will be fine, but if needed a replacement I’d give Falkenborg a shot.

1) Luna everyday – He seems to play with more confidence as a starter and his numbers are starting to show it.

2)Duncan until a possible trade is made before the end of the season – Need his damage and others mentioned have been inconsistent.

3) Since there are so few quality pitchers available, and I believe the rotation will get back on track, Carl Crawford would be my choice.

4) I would not trade Wainright or Reyes with 4 out of 5 starters not under contract next year. I think Wainright should start now since he has better stuff than most of the starters and a rotation full of sinker-ballers has become increasingly vulnerable.

I would try to deal Isrighausen. It would free up salary and maybe someone else has a use for him. I also thknk it’s about time to shop Edmunds. He has an option year in ’07, but again, this would free up salary and he is, after all a .260 hitter.

Also when the who pitching staff goes into the crapper at the same time, maybe we need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of the pitching coach. I know Duncan has been with LaRussa a long time, but the job isn’t getting done. Ponson, Suppan, Mulder, Marquis, and the whole bullpen are to put it bluntly, ineffective.

A team that was 20 games over .500 just weeks ago and is now 8 over needs to make some drastic changes, and getting a 3-10 pitcher from Anaheim isn’t the answer

1) Luna, he has a much more consistent bat with a little pop, and his defense isn’t that bad. I mean sometimes he even plays short or third. I think he could more than handle the position especially with Albert giving him so much support.

2) Let Duncan play! I think this kid could be a 30 HR, 100 RBI guy with a 280 Avg, if he could play 140+ games. I think he could be a Jim Thome type player, but I think maybe he needs to adjust his stance, b/c he doesn’t look very comfortable at the plate. I am a big Chris Duncan fan.

3) I think if you let Luna and Duncan play everyday that takes care of your holes in the line-up. Our line-up is starting to show signs of coming out of this funk that the whole team is sort of in. I would let Ponson go, move Suppan into the bullpen. With Carpenter, Mulder, Weaver, Marquis and Reyes being the starters, if Mulder can return to form. Then your bullpen would be Suppan, Flores, Johnson, Thompson, Wainwright and Isringhousen. I don’t care what you do with Louper. He has never been an asset to the Cardinals.

4) Reyes, I think he has a bright future and maybe 200 wins as a Cardinal.

5) I am not sure what to do with him. He is leading the league in saves (1 back) but every time he goes out there its scary. I wonder what Wainwright might do in that role.

6) ’61’, no contest. That movie is a master piece. Billy Crystal did a **** of a job.

2)Let Duncan play. He’s shown enough early on to merit a serious look. Worst case scenerio is he puts up mediocre numbers and the Cardinals still benefit by knowing what kind of everyday player he is.

3)A young outfielder would be my choice, with Carl Crawford being the long-shot dream. I think they’ll wait to see how Edmonds rebounds before they make a move, but his 2007 option gets more expensive the worse he gets at the plate.

4)Reyes, without a doubt. He has a great future as a front-rotation starter, and his low salary early on will help free payroll for use in other areas (outfield, bullpen)

5)Stick with Izzy but look to develop a lower-price closer option from within.

6)I can’t lie: The Natural has been and always will be my favorite baseball movie.

7)Radiohead in Chicago with the Black Keys as the opener. Amazing show in a beautiful (and small!) venue, with my only small complaint being Radiohead’s lack of interaction with their audience. Also caught the Black Crowes, but they weren’t too jam-band-y on the night I saw them. The only disappointment was a set list heavy on the newer songs. Two solid concerts but nothing mind-blowing

Sure, I’m straying off my territory and into Leach’s yard (playground?). I hope he doesn’t mind. Had to chime in.

1. See below. A platoon makes sense, but Luna’s numbers as a starter at second speak to his comfort there.

2. Let Duncan play.

3. If Carl Crawford is as available as the Rockies seem to believe he is, then it’s gotta be him. Oh, you mean realistically? Gotta be Vidro. Go ahead, take on the contract. Get a second baseman and a No. 2 hitter in one slick move. It also answers question No. 1.

(Allow me to translate: he believes Isringhausen is the best man for the job right now and he is most valuable to the team as the closer. Plus, Ian goes on to argue, saves in seven of every eight opportunities is “darn-tootin’ good”. His words. Not mine. Though I share the sentiment.)

6. Hands down, Major League. But I’ll entertain a spirited discussion on the best baseball book of all time.

7. Saw a string quartet in an old — and I mean real old — church in Oxford that was remarkable. Nelly’s party after the previous Spinks boxing match broke out into a cool concert. Rock? Bummed I missed the Black Crowes. But the one concert I truly wanted to be at was Jazzfest. Had to watch it over the Internet. Can’t beat Cowboy Mouth, Ezra, Springsteen, Dr. John, Dave Matthews … all in the greatest city to see a concert, New Orleans.

1. Luna. He has earned that spot, and he’s not an outfielder. Plus, he has a pretty decent bat. Not spectacular, but decent.

2. Hard to call this one. So is a very reliable back-up for center and right, so platooning left seems like a good idea. He also performs VERY well when he’s at bat and they need a hit. I haven’t really seen Duncan or JRod in left enough to know about their fielding, but it does seem like JRod can hit for power, while Duncan is more small-ball hitting, along with Taguchi.

3. Kinda hard to call this one. My feeling is, the Cards have an awesome team now, it’s just a matter of getting it all operating efficiently.

4. Yadi hands down. He can hit, and he can defintly handle the pitchers. And check out his arm. When it’s pickoff time, it turns into a cannon. Eckstein is totally worth keeping too. That antsy son-of-a-gun seems to be everywhere at once.

5. Leave Izzy in there. If the starters make a mess, he has to clean it up. They usually work up to 7 innings at least, Izzy works 1. No chance for him to undo any damage.

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